All posts tagged Haifaa Al Mansour

RIYADH–None of the glamour usually associated with movie premieres was on display during the Saudi debut of “Wadjda,” the country’s first feature film to be directed by a woman.

There was no red carpet, no photographers and no sparkling champagne. Alcohol is banned in Saudi Arabia. Movie theaters are banned there, too.

Hosted at a foreign embassy in Riyadh on a warm night in early June, the premiere was an understated affair. Local media was not invited to the screening due to fears that early reviews could cause a backlash against the film. The guests, a group of locals and expats, were handpicked by embassy staff and instructed not to tweet about it. Read More »

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